San Pail In To Go At Vernon

After having last raced in the Meadowlands Racetrack's Nat Ray Invitational, where he triumphed in 1:50.4, two-time O'Brien Award winner San Pail is back in to go south of the border

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Trainer Rod Hughes has entered San Pail to contest Vernon Downs' $218,000 Credit Winner Open Trot (Race 8), which will be the highlight of the track's nine-dash card of live racing on Friday, September 2. First-race post time will be at 6:55 p.m.

San Pail has drawn Post 2 in the Credit Winner, which will house a field of eight. The gelding's regular pilot, Randy Waples, will be in the sulky to guide the winner of more than $2.4 million in lifetime purses.

Some of San Pail's main threats in the Credit Winner are Il Villaggio and Jody Jamieson who recently won at Indiana Downs in 1:53. Also, Lucky Jim will look to become a repeat winner of the event after having set the stakes record (1:52) last year. Lucky Jim has drawn post position number eight, and will be handled for the very first time by Tim Tetrick for trainer Erv Miller.

In the $164,000 Muscle Hill Open Mare Trot, Buck I St Pat has been dubbed the 5-2 morning line favourite. The longtime queen of trotting's aged mare division is coming into the event off a two-length victory in a $100,000 Open Trot at Chester Downs. The 8-year old daughter of Jailhouse Jessie – Name It Something has made in excess of $2.3 million lifetime and won the Muscle Hill event in 2009.

Buck I St Pat's main competition will start to her inside (Post 2). That competition will come in the form of Jersey AS, who posted a mild upset over Buck I St Pat in the Matchmaker on Hambletonian Day in 1:51.3. Action Broadway, who has drawn Post 1, will look to make some noise in the Muscle Hill. Brian Sears will drive the Virgil Morgan, Jr.-trained Armbro Flight winner.

Defending Muscle Hill champion Yursa Hanover, who will be looking to become the event's first-ever repeat winner, has drawn Post 8. Hall of Famer John Campbell will be in the sulky.

Also on tap for Friday night at Vernon Downs will be the two-year old Historic Series races. Fireworks will also follow live racing.

$218,000 Credit Winner Open Trot

Head # - Post Position - Horse- Listed Driver
1 - 4 - All Cantab - Jim Morrill, Jr.
1A - 6 - Il Villaggio - Jody Jamieson
2 - 1 - Define The World - Paul MacDonell
3 - 2 - San Pail - Randy Waples
4 - 3 - Hot Shot Blue Chip - Brian Sears
5 - 5 - Take My Picture - David Miller
6 - 7 - Pembroke Prayer - John Campbell
7 - 8 - Lucky Jim - Tim Tetrick

$164,000 Muscle Hill Open Mare Trot

Post Position - Horse- Listed Driver
1 - Action-Broadway - Brian Sears
2 - Jersey AS - Randy Waples
3 - Pembroke Heat Wave - Paul MacDonell
4 - Buck I St Pat - Tim Tetrick
5 - Autumn Escapade - David Miller
6 - Ginger Tree Wanda - Jim Morrill, Jr.
7 - Sea Raven - Jody Jamieson
8 - Yursa Hanover - John Campbell

(With files from Vernon)